Panchanga (पञ्चाङ्गम्)

This article needs editing. Add and improvise the content from reliable sources.

Panchanga (Samskrit: पञ्चाङ्गम्) refers to an Indian calendar system to keep a record of day to day activities. While Kalamana discusses the different time measurement systems and their role and importance, a Panchanga refers to different times of the day and night and their importance. It is used to identify a particular day with respect to the weekday, month and year of a particular calendar system.

In different societies, depending on their requirements and practices - rituals, social and civil events - various calendar systems have evolved. These systems are essentially based on the solar year either tropical (savana) or sidereal (nakshatra) or lunar years (tithis or luni-solar). In the present times a Gregorian calendar is in use, almost globally, for all administrative and government records and events.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Bharatiya Panchanga evolved over thousands of years since the vedic times. Based on the astronomical observations through different phases and periods - Vedanga and Siddhanta - the calendar has undergone continuous refinements. There are essentially two systems followed in the Indian sub-continent by different sections of people.

1. Solar (Saura)
2. Luni-Solar (Chandra)

A solar month is calculated from the entry into a rashi by the Sun (sankranti) to his entry into the next rashi.

A lunar month is the period from one new moon (Amavasya) to the next or from one full moon (Purnima) to the next.